Practice Management Insight

March 2010

A report on events affecting Oklahoma providers

March 4

Cognitive

Behavioral Techniques

Tulsa Tech, Lemley Campus

More Information

March 4-5

Coalition of Advocates Joint Conference: Achieving Wellness Through Community

National Center for Employee Development in Norman

More Information

March 5

3rd Annual Statewide Conference on Problem Gambling

Newcastle

More Information

Online Registration

March 7-13

National Patient Safety Awareness Week

www.npsf.org/hp/psaw/

March 7-13

National Problem Gambling Awareness Week

www.npgaw.org

March 8

State Plan Amendment Rate Committee (SPARC) Public Hearing

March 8

RSS Training

Oklahoma City

More Information

March 10-11

Correct Administration and Application of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) with

Jim Giffin, LADC

Tulsa Tech, Broken Arrow Campus

More Information

Register Online

March 11

OHCA Board Meeting

March 14

Daylight Savings Time Begins

March 15-21

Brain Awareness Week

www.dana.org/brainweek

March 16

Medicaid Training

Oklahoma City

More Information

Register Online

March 17

Saint Patrick’s Day

March 19

Youth Development and Empowerment Seminar

Oklahoma City

More Information

Register Online

March 20

First Day of Spring

March 24

T-ASI Teen Severity Index

Tulsa Tech, Riverside Campus

Register Online

March 25-26

SOAR Training

Tulsa Tech, Riverside Campus

More Information

Register Online

March 29-30

Fund. of Wraparound 101

Oklahoma City

More Information

Register Online

March 31

ODAPCA Pre-conference

OBLADC Approved Clinical Supervisors Training & Certification

More Information

April 1-2

ODAPCA’s 35th Bi-Annual Conference

National Center for Employee Development in Norman

More Information

“The Oklahoma Health Care Authority board approved additional reductions of 3.5 percent to rates paid to SoonerCare providers for health care services. The cuts will be added to the 3.25 percent rate reductions which were approved at the January board meeting. The latest cuts are required to accommodate the agency’s reduced allocation for February through June of 2010. Both rate reductions will go into effect April 1.

“The most recent reduction to the agency’s budget amounts to about $12.1 million in state dollars. However, each dollar the state spends in the Medicaid program is matched by $3 from the federal government. A cut of $12.1 million state dollars creates a total cut of more than $32 million when matching federal funds are taked away.

“Past actions by the board include a December meeting cut of about $17 million in state funds from from the agency’s budget which equaled a total reduction of $69.6 million when the federal matching funds were included. Those cuts involved reducing administrative costs, changes to durable medical equipment (DME) and prescription benefits, and changes in payments to providers for certain services. At the January meeting, a cut of $5 million in state funds, and the accompanying loss of $15 million in federal funds, was accommodated by the 3.25 percent reduction in provider rates.

“‘We’re feeling the same pain as other state agencies,’” said Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nico Gomez. ‘But that fact doesn’t make these actions any easier. Our board and agency along with state leadership has worked diligently to increase provider rates over the years. We sincerely hope the providers will continue to work with our program through these tough economic times. More than 800,000 Oklahomans are counting on us.’

“The provider rate reductions will make up about $5 million of the required $12.1 million reduction. The agency’s administrative budget is also being reduced by an additional $1.4 million. The remainder of cuts include: increased scrutiny of adult dental emergency extractions; reduction of Medicare crossover co-insurance and deductible to freestanding Medicaid primary end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities; and a reduction of 40 percent for the rate paid for diabetic supplies.”

See Article

SoonerCare providers will see further rate reductions

Would you like to ...

· See the new CDC form?

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· See the new service rates and billing codes, and how they flow together?

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· Learn the easiest way to keep track of alerts and expiring CDCs?

Centers who already have ThinkHealth are resting easy, knowing they are covered. But who is making sure you’re ready for the big 2010 changes? If you need answers, come to our presentation where we will answer all these questions and more. You need someone on your side to make sure you are ready so you don’t have to worry about it. There is still time to get ThinkHealth before the big changes hit!

Thursday, March 11 Online Demonstration

email [email-masked]

or Call 405.286.1674

Got questions? We’ve got answers.

“In the compromise health care reform proposal released by the White House [February 22], President Obama calls for a new federal definition for Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and other community-based mental health and addiction providers. The details of the Administration proposal are strikingly similar to the Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Center (FQBHC) definition that the National Council has been actively pursuing throughout the health reform care debate.

“In July 2009, the House Energy and Commerce Committee adopted an amendment … to the House health care reform bill that authorizes the new FQBHCs. This legislation takes a critical first step toward achieving parity between community behavioral heath providers and other parts of America’s safety net including public hospitals and Community Health Centers. In addition, the House measure more accurately reflects the evidence-based and recovery-focused services that National Council members provide while establishing nationwide accountability and reporting requirements. ….”                                                                                                        Read more

President Obama Backs National Council Position on

New Federal Definition for Community Health Providers

Statement from the Nation Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

SAMHSA and the

Ad Council to Launch

Mental Health Campaign

“[SAMHSA] Officials, the Ad Council and the Stay Strong Foundation will unveil a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health problems among young adults in the African American community. The event is part of Black History Month and it is being held to coincide with the first annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) National Mental Health Awareness Day. The launch will be telecast to colleges and universities nationwide. …”                      Read more

New Survey Again

Raises Alarm About

Teen Drug Use, Attitudes

“A new report finds that more kids say they are using alcohol and other drugs, but many parents are unable or unwilling to deal with the issue—a bad combination when declining support for prevention and cultural apathy about the issue leave parents as the last and sometimes only line of defense against adolescent drug use.

“The 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), released March 2 by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) and MetLife Foundation, reported rather dramatic year-over-year spikes in past-month alcohol use (up 11 percent) and past-year use of marijuana (up 19 percent) and ecstasy … .”         Read more